Like Real People Do
by SabrinasWonderland
Summary: What if Riley and Maya never met? What if they did, but at a less convenient time in their lives? When 15 year old Riley Matthews takes in a young girl from the streets, their personalities instantly click, and her good girl reputation may be compromised.
1. Bug Bites

**AUTHORS NOTE: Thank you in advance for reading my story, please feel free to leave honest reviews.**

Let me paint you a picture.

Central Park, minutes after sunset. The air is cold and grey. Every 20 steps or so, there's a dim light swarmed with moths, shining upon the green of spring. The crickets are chirping and the mosquitoes are buzzing past your ears and whizzing against your skin. There are thick bushes overgrown through a short chainlink fence. Near the bushes is a cold bench, and if you were there, that's where you could find me.

Can you see it? I could see it, but there were some things I couldn't see until I looked closer.

Earlier today, Lucas destroyed my heart. He didn't simply break it, he _destroyed_ it. Shredded it and scarred it. Only someone skilled would ever be able to put those pieces back in their places.

He came home from Texas, and brought with him his ex. Or, should I say, his forgiven ex whom is now his girlfriend again.

I know we broke up years ago, but there was still unspoken feelings between us and we both knew it.

I could feel the tears stale on my cheeks. I had fled my room, in need of some air. And then I was on the bench. It should have been isolated, but it didn't feel it. I felt the eyes on my back, burning into my flesh and bones. Hell _,_ I thought, I must be crazy. There's nobody here, not a soul.

But the feeling grew, and I was quite uncomfortable.

I twisted my body around to the bushes, but I couldn't see anything. Dear lord, I thought I was going insane.

But then the bush sneezed. Now, I know there is no such thing as a sneezing bush, so I knew there was someone in there. I looked closely and I could see pale fingers clenching the fence. By then I couldn't tell if the being was petrified or getting ready to attack. So, naturally, I fled.

They say curiosity killed the cat.

But, maybe I'm not the cat. Maybe I'm the human who found the poor cat and fixed it up a little bit. That's what I like to think. Because, when I went back, the cold fingers were still clinging to the old fence. But I could see eyes behind them, silvery in colour. They looked like fresh glass, peering out from the darkness.

I put on a brave face and crouched near the fence, watching as the previously mentioned fingers crawled back in fear. I froze, suddenly aware that the creature was just as scared as I was.

"Hey," My voice spilled out in a whisper. "What are you doing back there?"

A shaky voice stuttered back at me defensively. "I don't know you..."

"I don't know you either, but I know that normally I don't find people hiding in bushes at 11pm." I frowned, still attempting to make out the features of the human. All I could see we're the glassy eyes and some thick dark eyebrows.

"Are you here to laugh at me?"

"No, why would I-"

"Are you here to hurt me?"

"What... I would never-"

"Are you here to take me back?"

"Back...? Back to where?"

"Never mind... Why are you here?"

"I don't know, I... I just wanted to know if you're okay. And you don't seem okay, so please, tell me what's wrong. You can trust me, I promise."

"That's what they said last time..." The voice trailed off somewhere distant.

"Listen, you can trust me, I promise. I promise I have no negative intentions. I'm just a 15 year old girl, I've never done any harm to anyone in my life. I promise I'm not here to hurt you in any way. Please trust me."

And the most beautiful thing happened. They did. They trusted me. And I learned that they were actually she.

I helped her over the short fence, and sat her down in the bench, surveying her up and down. She was shaking. She didn't look good. And by that, I mean, condition-wise. In fact, she looked awful. Her faded blue jeans were almost in shreds. One leg of them was completely ripped, hanging on in the back by a few threads. The exposed leg was red and scratched from what looked to be at least 15 bug bites. Dried blood was visible, trailing from a source scrape on her knee. The other pant-leg wasn't even blue. It was dusty and brown, covered in dried up dirt.

Just from her legs I could tell she's been through too much.

Her shirt wasn't even torn up from what I could see... But that's probably because I couldn't see it.

I thought I better question later.

And I will question, I promise. But she's sleeping. I snuck her back home. I hope nobody smells the stench before I have time to get her cleaned up.


	2. The Island Of Dr Moreau

4am. God, I was so tired, but it was the only plan I had. I woke up to the feeling of cold arms around me. The night had gone so quick for me, but I was surprised she was still cold. She wrapped her pale swollen arms around me while she fell asleep, and I let her. I mean, the poor girl was cold and desperate for warmth, safety, and attachment. I let her.

But now it was time for me to get her up.

I carefully snaked my way out from under her arm, and off my bed. My room still looked the same, but it felt like my fear was painted across every wall. I crept over to the young girl's side, attempting to lift her off the bed. To my disappointment, apparently living on the streets of New York turns you into a very light sleeper.

The girl jerked away from me, sitting up fast and curling up into a ball, wincing as if anticipating impact.

"Hey..." I whispered, trying to calm her. "Hey, it's just me. Remember? I'm not here to harm you." I heard her rapid hyperventilating slow down as she seemed to remember. And with that, I gently lifted her shaking body across my room, and set her down in the bay window.

"Get some more rest," I whispered, and smiled down at her worn out face.

Soon she was asleep, and I was finally able to continue on with my plan.

I pulled the blankets of my bed. They were stained with dirt, and also with blood, which I found odd. I didn't see any active wounds on her when I looked at her before. But to be fair it was dark out and difficult to see. The bed smelled like gross corners of the subway, just as she did. I had to do a load of laundry before my parents woke up.

By the time that was done it was about 5:30am. I still had some time before my parents and Auggie were going to wake up.

I crept into the bathroom and turned on the warm shower, cleaning the smell of the young girl off my skin.

After thoroughly cleaning myself, I toweled myself off and changed into my church clothes.

I crept back out of the bathroom, closing the door behind me and turning on the light.

A foul stench hit me as I entered the room. I flipped on the light, only to see the girl sitting in the bay window, hunched over and clutching her stomach.

"I-I'm sorry..." The petite blonde whimpered. "I didn't mean to, I... This happens a lot..." She stared down at the small pool of bile on the floor, a pained and ashamed look on her face. "I'm really sorry..."

"Oh god... Don't apologize, just... You should get yourself cleaned up." I grabbed the girl's shaky hand and helped her into the bathroom. "Take a shower, okay? You should feel better."

The girl stumbled into the tiled room, stopping in the doorway.

"The floor is slippery in here..."

"Oh, crap. Uh... Can you walk?"

"Sort of... But not with the water in the floor."

"...uh... Do you..uh... Do you need help?" I stuttered, looking down carefully at the girl.

"I guess... B-but you don't have to, I mean, if you don't want to..." She stammered, looking down at her worn out boots.

I pulled the rugged boots off her feet.

"Uh... Did you step in something...?" Her feet were red and swollen.

"It's... It's probably poison ivy... S-sorry..."

"No, no, it's okay." I helped her out of the nasty jeans. "Holy..." I looked at her leg, which had been covered by the pants. "What happened?" That must have been where all the blood had come from. And, tied around her wound was an old Beatles t-shirt. That's where it was.

"I..."

"Weren't you cold?"

"Well... Of course I was..."

"No jacket?"

"I had one... I don't wanna talk about that..."

"Alright..." I helped her out of everything else and turned on the faucet. I held my hand under the water until I was sure it was warm, and then I let it fill the tub. "Okay, you should be good now." I helped her in and I walked towards the door. "I'll be right outside the door if you need anything."

I closed the door behind me, and cleaned the vomit off the floor.

By the time I got the girl out of the bath, got her in some clean clothes, and got her hair combed out, my parents woke up.

"Riley!" I heard my mother's voice chirp from the kitchen. "Breakfast!"

I scrambled out of the room, leaving the girl to lay in my bed and rest some more.

My mom had made a small breakfast, just a bagel and some fruit. I grabbed the fruit and put it in a plastic cup, and picked up the bagel.

"I need to feed Farkle's cat, he's on vacation. I'll be back before church, I promise." I smiled at my mother and ran out the door.

Farkle brought his cat with him on vacation.

Once outside, I climbed the fire escape, and I helped my new friend out the window and down to the street. I brought her back to Central Park, where I found her, and I gave her the meal my mother had made me. I sat next to her on the bench, watching her as she carefully devoured the breakfast.

I couldn't focus during church. I didn't even pray. Although I probably needed it, since problems were sure to arise in the future of hiding a girl in my room, with no idea why this girl was previously on the streets.

"...You shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another..."

My mind snapped back into real life.

Lie.

Lie.

Lie.

It echoed in my mind.

Lie.

I realized I have never told a lie before. Not one.

She was my lie. My first lie. Why do I care so much that I'll break my family's trust? Why do I care so much?

Jeez, I really hate church.

I bolted into my room the second I got home. The blonde girl was sitting cross legged on my bed, reading through one of my books. She heard me enter but didn't look up from the book. She flipped the page and set it down, looking into my eyes.

"What're you reading?" I cocked my head to the left.

"Uh, The Island of Dr. Moreau."

"Oh, I haven't read that yet. Is it any good?"

"It's interesting. Got some nice quotes in it."

"Like what?"

"Um..." She picked the book back up. "'...if I had the strength I would drink sea-water and madden myself to die quickly."

"Well... That's dark."

"I like it that way." She stated with a melancholy grin.

"What else do you read?"

"There was this book I really liked, it was really old. It was a novella about a girl who fell in love with a vampire. But it wasn't cheesy like that awful Twilight crap where everyone is sparkly. Other than that, I don't read much... I mean, I wasn't really the best student back at home."

"You weren't?" I raised my eyebrows, climbing into the bed to sit next to her. "You seem to read some really complex stuff."

"Well, eh. It was a strict Christian academy, but I'm not even religious. My foster parents were ridiculously religious, though. They kept scolding me for not doing well in school. But, hey, they don't want me as much as I don't want them." She shrugged.

"Is that why you're here?"

"It's complicated..."

"I won't ask again unless you're comfortable"

"Thank you... Your name's Riley, right?" One of her thick eyebrows rose.

"Yeah, I never got your name though."

"I'm Maya." She smiled and picked the book back up, getting lost within the pages once more.


	3. Hearts Shattered

I woke up Monday morning, dreading school. Maya was gently shoving me, whispering for me.

"Wake up," She rasped. "Someone texted you."

I rolled over to stare the blonde girl in the eyes.

"Who?" I demanded, raising an eyebrow.

"Someone named...Lucas. Who's he?"

"Oh my god," I felt my eyes roll inside my head the second his name fled her mouth. I was so mad at him. But even still, something about him just made it impossible to hate him. "What does it say?"

"Uh... Something about wanting to talk to you after school. Who is he?"

"He... He's my ex. But we're still friends."

"So, are you gonna talk to him?"

"I don't know... Are you okay if he comes over after school?"

"I-is he nice?" Her eyes shifted downward.

"He's really sweet actually. Well mannered."

"Alright... Does he know about me?"

"No, I haven't told a soul." I sat up. "Do you want him to know?"

"I mean, if you trust him, I'm fine with it."

"Okay." I smiled at her. "I trust him, I'll tell him."

Maya handed my my phone, and I went to immediately text Lucas back.

 _Sure, we can talk. There's something I need to tell you about. We can go home on the subway after school together_

 _Another text popped up soon after._

 _Alright. See you then._

He still makes my heart flutter.

Why does he make my heart flutter?

Maya interrupted my thoughts.

"So... Ex boyfriend, huh?" She raised a thick eyebrow, biting her lower lip. "What happened between you two?"

"We just... I don't know, he didn't think we were meant for each other. He thought the relationship was awkward. He's really attractive, God, you should see him. He's tall, and he has this faint accent. He used to live in Texas."

"Oh... Texas, huh? So, is he into horse riding?"

"He rode sheep when he was younger."

"A sheep? Seriously?" She burst into laughter.

"Mhm." I giggled. "It's more cute than it is funny, though."

"Still lovestruck, huh?" Her voice lowered back to a whisper.

"I guess, yeah. How could I not be?"

"Well... Just don't let him hurt you."

"He would never do anything to hurt me... Or... Actually..." I paused for a moment. "I am mad at him. He got back together with his ex."

"But you broke up with him..."

"But I still love him."

"Please don't get lost in him." She frowned. "I don't want you to be broken by him."

"He's the only one I would ever want to be broken by."

"Yeah..." She sighed. "I guess so..." She swallowed hard. "You really don't want to break, it hurts, Riley."

"I don't want to. But I would for him."

"Well, if I were him, I would never hurt you." She smiled sheepishly, looking down at her hands. "Try not to let him back in, Riley, you don't want your heart smashed."

"I won't. I promise."

 **Author's note: Sorry for the short chapter, I wanted to get something posted today but my little cousin is over, so this is all I managed to write. I should have something longer tomorrow, I promise. Anyways, how are you liking the story so far? How do you think Lucas will react? Any theories? Also, if you have any suggestions please feel free to share!**


	4. Jealousy

I crawled up the fire escape and through the bwindow, followed by none other than Lucas Friar. Before opening the door, I turned to him.

"Lucas, before we go in there, I need to make sure you will be very calm and careful. She's in a sensitive state."

"She?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, come on." I opened the window slowly and climbed through.

"Maya?" I whispered.

The closet door slid open and her steely blue eyes peered out.

"Riley!" She smiled, "You're back!" The blonde dashed towards me, embracing me.

"I was only gone for 8 hours." I giggled.

"Yeah, but I missed you... Is this Lucas?" She furrowed her dark brows.

"Yeah. Lucas, this is Maya." I looked at him, and then at Maya, and back at him.

"Hi Maya, nice to meet you." He said, with a small wave. "Riley, can I talk to you for a second?" He grabbed my wrist, pulling me into the hall.

"Lucas, I know you have questions."

"I do. What is going on?"

"I found Maya on Saturday night. I really don't know much about her, she doesn't like talking about it. From what she's said, it seems like she was in foster care and ran away or something."

"So you're just hiding her in here? Without telling your parents?"

"I can't tell my parents, Lucas. She's a runaway. People are probably looking for her. They'll turn her in to the police." I sighed. "Listen, she's been through a lot."

"I can tell. She looks dead."

"Trust me, she was worse when I found her. She sorta resembled a wild animal. All her clothes were mangled up, and she was using her shirt as a bandage. Trust me, she's been through more than I could ever imagine. Please try to be gentle with her."

"I'll do my best." He grinned, tipping an imaginary hat at me. I grinned back, opening the door to my room.

God, he looked so cute.

"Maya, we're back!" I smiled as I entered the room.

"Yeah, no kidding, you opened the door like an elephant." Lucas laughed. She grinned as she saw my voice break into a giggle.

"Hey..." Maya bit her lip as he approached her. She glanced at me and I gave her a reassuring look. "Y-you're one of Riley's close friends?"

"Yes I am." He smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better. She's been taking very good care of me." She grinned slightly.

"She's always been a caring person."

"She's helped me more than anyone ever had in my life..." She closed her eyes gently.

Lucas grabbed Maya's hand, squeezing it gently and looking into her eyes.

"I know you've been through a lot, but we're both here for you." His tone was serious and clear.

"I know. Thank you." She smiled sweetly, her eyes fluttering open once again.

Did Lucas just hold her hand?

Oh, no, this isn't gonna work. Jealousy is not a good look on me.

"I'm sorry you've had to go through all this." He frowned down at the small girl. "But you're very strong and very brave. I know it might not seem like you are, but trust me, you are. You're special." He looked straight into the blonde's glassy eyes. "If you ever want to talk to me about anything, I'm here."

Her face flushed red, and mine went cold.

I put my hand on her shoulder, trying to control myself.

"I'm here also, Maya. We want to see you happy."

"You do?" Her eyes glimmered.

"Of course. Always."

A smile spread across her face, and I forced a fake one on.

An hour or so more, full of excruciatingly painful smiles between the two, passed slowly. Finally, Lucas way back to his house.

"By the way, Maya," I looked at her carefully, once we were alone. "The whole situation I told you about with Lucas and his new girlfriend is all over. It was just a joke." I rolled my eyes. "...It wasn't a funny one, though."

"Oh, that's good. I still wouldn't trust him with your heart though, Riley." She sighed.

"Why are you so worried?"

"Because, I want you to be with someone who would never hurt you." She said, her eyes gravitating towards the ground.

"I don't believe there's a soul out there who would never even accidentally hurt me. Even you hurt me." I frowned, not immediately recognizing that I probably shouldn't have said that.

"I... I h-hurt you?" Her voice cracked. "When d-did I hurt you?"

"...oh, God. I didn't mean that, I mean, I just got a bit jealous with all the flirting between you and Lucas earlier... Sorry..." I stammered, trying to calm her down.

"F-flirting? With Lucas? No! Riley, I wouldn't dare." She looked up at me. "Y-you were jealous of me?"

"For a moment, yes." I sighed.

"There's no need to be jealous of me, I don't even have a chance with him. I don't even want a chance with him."

"You're sure?"

"Positive." She smiled at me.

"Okay. Good. Thank you so much, I love you." Her smile grew into an enormous grin. "I have to study now, you okay with that?"

"Of course, you need your education." Her smile faded.

"What's wrong, Maya?" I frowned.

"Nothing, just... Could I stay with you while you do the homework?"

"Yes, of course! Why not?" I smiled, pulling my notebook out of my backpack and jumping up to sit on my bed.

She curled up next to me, watching me read my notes over and over until she dozed off.

Once I finished studying, I looked over at the girl. There was something so peaceful about her sleeping. She was always at constant war with herself, but in her sleep there was no trace of it. The way she cuddled up against my side, the way her chest rose and fell as she slept. It was all so comforting, somehow. No feeling could honestly compare.

And that's when it occurred to me.

It wasn't her I was jealous of.

 **Author's Note: Thank you all for reviewing and reading my story! I might not be able to continue on with updating every day, but I'm making an effort to get as much done as possible. I really want you all to review if you have any ideas, so I can PM you and see if I can work some more plots in. The more suggestions I get, the longer I can continue writing this story, so please feel free to talk to me, don't be shy!**


	5. Waterfall

I woke up, I snuck Maya breakfast, and then I rushed off to school. The day flew by, faster than I though possible. By the time I was on the subway making my way back home, it had only felt like the day lasted a few hours. I was quite content, actually, despite the stress I was going through.

And then I arrived at my stop.

And then I walked to my building.

And then I entered my apartment.

And then my heart stopped.

I stood in complete shock, as I opened the door to see Maya and my Mother sitting on the couch together. My mom looked at me, and motioned for me to sit down.

"Riley, please explain to me why I found this young girl in your room." Her eyes were cold and serious.

"M-mom, I was just trying to help her..." I could feel my eyes misting already. "I found her on the street, she was mangled up badly... I just wanted to help, mom..." I tried to hold the tears in, but it was proving quite difficult.

"Riley, she has a home, and it's not here."

"Mrs.," Maya's voice whispered. "Please don't send me back home..."

"They're probably looking for you, and I know you don't want to go back, but we could get in serious trouble if you stay here. You have to go back to your family." My mother spoke in the most calm voice she could.

"Maya..." I cried. "I don't want you to leave..." The tears burned my eyes until I could no longer keep them open. And I'm glad, because hearing the cries that began coming from Maya was bad enough, I wouldn't be able to bear seeing her face. "Mom, please let her stay!" I pleaded blindly.

"She can't, Riley. You and I both know she can't. She has family at home that must be worried sick!" She sighed. "I know you want her to stay, but she needs to go back home. You can still visit each other, it's not like you won't ever see her again."

I began thinking, maybe my mom was right. Maybe Maya's foster parents were sending out search parties and offering rewards for finding her. They were probably emotionally distraught and completely depressed.

"Maya..." I turned to my friend, blinking my eyes free of the tears. "I think she's right. As much as I love having you here, you need to go back to your family, they need you back."

"Riles, I..." She sighed, sniffling as she did so. "I really don't want to go back there." She frowned, biting her lower lip.

"You know you have to."

"I don't, Riley! I'm better off here."

"Maya. We're taking you home. For the greater good of your family, we are taking you home." I told her, sternly. I had to do what I had to do. My eyes watered as I talked, but I wouldn't let myself break.

"Fine." She said. "But don't expect me to be happy about it."

"I'm not happy about it either, you know that."

"I know."

Later that evening, my mom and I brought Maya to her foster address. Standing outside the door, I tried to keep calm as I said my goodbyes. We hugged for a bit, until my mom told me that we had to get going soon and she had to go inside.

"Riles?" Maya choked out. "You know how thankful I am for you fixing me up."

"I know. You're wonderful, Maya."

"Riley... I hope..." She sneezed lightly, tears clinging to her eyelashes. "I hope I'll get to see you again, someday."

"Of course you will."

Maya knocked on the door, breaking the conversation.

Moments later a tall man open the door gently, glancing out at what was in front of him.

"Sir, I believe we found your daughter?" My mother gestured to Maya.

"Oh." He said. "Thank you, so much."

And then he pulled Maya inside, and shut the door.

That was it.

She was gone.

The waterfall of tears rushed down my face as we drove away.

 **Author's Note: Sorry for the lack of updates, I was on vacation and didn't have wifi. Hope you like the story so far, feel free to leave reactions, comments, or theories in the reviews.**


	6. The Beatles

**Author's Note: Hey, this chapter is kinda short, sorry. Shoutout to Julia for motivating me to work on this. Hope you all enjoy the chapter :)**

When I arrived back home, I instantly ran into my room, flopped down on my bed, and cried into my decorative pillows. I missed her so much, and it had hardly been any time since I last saw her. I crawled under my comfortable purple blankets, and sobbed some more until I don't think I could even handle the crying. I was sweating, too.

I angrily tossed the blankets on the floor, throwing my pillows after them.

I missed her, so much.

What if I never saw her again? What if she forgot about me by tomorrow?

Doubts drowned my mind, and there wasn't anything I could to about it.

I crept out to my kitchen and sat down at the table with my mom.

"Mom?" I looked up at her. "Can you get me something to eat? I know I already ate, but I'm still hungry."

"Of course, sweetie." She smiled, standing up and going over to the fridge. "Want me to heat you up some spaghetti?"

"Yes, please. Thank you mom." I tried to keep my tears disguised, but I knew she could see them anyways. She knew how hurt I was. "Mom, I miss her already."

"You did the right thing, Riley. You'll see her again sometime, I promise."

"No, mom, I might not. I saw the way that man looked at her. He seemed so hateful. I doubt he wants to see us ever again."

"Now that you mention it, he did seem rather suspicious." She frowned at me.

"He did, and I didn't like it one bit. I'm worried about Maya, mom." My eyes couldn't stand the pressure of my tears and they all came pouring out at once.

"Riley, Riley..." My mom came over to me after putting the leftover spaghetti in the microwave. She sat next to me and stroked my hair. "We'll check in on her tomorrow, I promise. If things aren't going well, we can get involved. Don't worry."

I nodded, feeling slightly better.

After eating, I went back into my room. I grabbed some comfortable shorts and rummaged through the bottom of my drawer, my hands feeling around through the darkness of my room. I pulled out Maya's old Beatles shirt, which, despite being washed many times, still had evidence of bloodstains on parts of it.

I kicked my floral overalls off, putting the black shorts on. I pulled my crop-top off over my head, and I replaced it with Maya's shirt. The inside of the shirt was so soft, I could understand why Maya would wear it.

I jumped onto my cleared off bed and grabbed my copy of The Island of Dr. Moreau off my small bedside table. I turned on my lamp and squinted at the font on the front cover. My eyes adjusted to the light and I flipped to a page with a folded over corner.

"'I lay across one of the thwarts for I know not how long, thinking that if I had the strength I would drink sea-water and madden myself to die quickly.'" I whisper, reading the page and hearing Maya's voice in my head, as tears remained in my eyes.

"Hey klutz," A voice came from the other side of the room. "You should try this one, it's even better." A blonde figure waved a book around in her hands, crawling through the window.

"Maya!" I jumped up, running over to her and squeezing her tight. She hugged me back loosely, dropping the small white book onto the bay window.

"I missed you, Riley." She grinned, closing the window behind her.

"Are you kidding? I missed you way more."

"Hah, yeah, I wouldn't doubt it. My shirt looks cute on you, by the way." She giggled.

"Thanks," I blushed awkwardly. "Why are you back? I mean, I'm so happy to see you, but, why?"

"Riley, I have to make something clear to you." She said, looking into my eyes.

"Wh...what?"

"You seem to be under the impression that I ran away from home." She sighed. "I didn't."

"Really? What happened?" I said sitting down in the bay window and pulling her down to sit next to me.

"They kicked me out. They didn't want me back, but I wasn't ready to tell you. I'm sorry."

"Oh my god." I whispered, putting my hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you."

"I'm fine, just a little pain in my wrist. When I ran up to go find the book for you before they forced me out, my foster mom dragged me out of the house and her fingernails kinda dug into my wrist. But I'm fine, I promise." She held up her right arm and I saw a couple small bits of redness.

"Oh, Maya... I had no idea..." I felt horrible. How could I be so oblivious to it all?

"It's alright, Riley, I should have come clean to you about this..."

"Can I ask why they kicked you out?"

"You're really not putting this together, are you?" She sighed.

"Oh." I said, things finally clicking. "The crazily religious foster parents kicking you out... Maya... You're..."

She let out a quiet breath.

"I'm gay, Riley."


	7. Wonderland

"Maya! Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, hugging her so tight I was scared I might break her.

"I was scared, Riles." She sighed, hugging me back comfortably.

"There's no reason to be scared, I'll always be here for you." I smiled sincerely.

"I'm glad you are, you're the only true friend I've ever had."

"Good thing I'll keep being your friend, til death do us part." I giggled.

"Well," She bit her lip. "thanks for not freaking out and disowning me." She said, a small bit of sad laughter hiding in her voice.

"Now that I know," I paused for a moment.

"Now that you know, what?"

"Now that I know, I have a question." I paused, my voice dropping into a whisper. "When did you know?"

"When?" Maya sighed softly. "God, it must've been... Maybe four years ago?"

"You were eleven?" I raised a curious eyebrow, looking her straight in the eyes.

"Twelve, actually. I'm 16."

"Oh, wow." I grinned, still happy that my best friend was finally opening up to me. "So, how? How'd you know?"

" I don't know how, I just knew. It's just, eventually there's just a feeling, and you know it's true but you don't know if you're just over analyzing your own feelings. You try to tell yourself that that's the case, but you always know it's not." She flashed a bittersweet grin, snapping back from her mind. "Sorry, that probably doesn't make any sense."

"No," my eyelids forced themselves wide open. "That makes perfect sense."

"It does?" She raised a thick eyebrow at me.

"It does." I smiled. "It makes all the sense in the world now. Thanks."

She smiled awkwardly, a satisfied look on her face. "Okay, weirdo." After a moment she stood up. "I'm gonna go change." She walked to my dresser and pulled out an orange camisole, and crossed the room to the bathroom.

I picked up the book she had brought, and began reading the first few pages.

A couple minutes later, my focus was ripped off of the words in the book. Maya stood over me, and I looked up at her smiling face.

"I see you've taken interest in my book?" She grinned. "I guess we both have similar taste in literature. I love reading," She said, leaning down closer to my level. "and Riley, I can read you like a book." Her voice suddenly lay plain and serious, eyes staring dead into mine.

I sat there, not sure where this came from or how to respond. What was she thinking?

She closed the book, grabbed it from me, and sat down next to me. She sat so close, she may as well have been sitting on me. It was dangerously close, closer than I had ever expected her. I'd never seen her so bold, I was so used to a sad, quiet Maya. She leaned even closer to me, and I could feel her chest beating against my shoulder. "I think I can read you better than you can yourself. Sometimes readers find things in words, and even the author didn't realize it was there." She grabbed my shoulders and pulled me closer, our noses almost touching.

"Maya, I can read too." I smirked, leaning in to close the gap between us.

Slid my hands over her small shoulders, wrapping one arm around her neck, and tangling the fingers of my other hand into the orange straps of her camisole. I could feel her body moving with every breath she placed against my lips. Her long golden hair fell over her shoulders and across her heavy, breathing chest. I felt every detail of her without even opening my eyes. I could see her thick eyebrows in my mind. I could see her small freckles through the dark of my eyelids. I saw the imperfectly perfect girl who hasn't left my mind since I found her.

"Maya," I whispered against her soft lips. "I'm so glad you're back."

"I'm glad I am too," She mumbled, parting our lips from each other. "Or else I wouldn't be able to do this." She smiled, kissing my forehead gently and petting my hair with her careful fingers.

"I love you, Maya." I smiled softly.

"Yeah, I'm aware." She giggled, nuzzling her small face into my neck. "I love you too." A grin spread wide across her pale skin. She weakly draped her arms around my shoulders, her fingers like cotton on the back of my neck.

I'm not sure what to think, it all happened so suddenly. Something just felt right. I always loved Maya's presence, it brought a strange feeling of happiness. The weird kind of happiness, the scary dark kind. Like, you don't know what's happening and it's all so confusing. It's like falling down a rabbit hole. Except you don't fall, you jump. You jump right into it, knowing it will turn out problematic in the end, but knowing you don't want to live without seeing what it looks like on the other side. You curiously jump full on into it, letting it throw you into a state of danger.

But you're fine with it, you really are. Because it's beautiful and magical. And because it's her, and you'd follow her anywhere.

She must've fallen asleep, but I'll tell you, I could never. How does one fall asleep with an angel in their arms? How do you sleep with the chill of cold sad skin burning your body with lovely feelings. How to you even close your eyes to blink when something so beautiful is right in front of you, without being scared they won't open back up? How can you drift off when you know the risky girl might not be there when life breaks you from your dreams? All I wanted to do was sit there and run my fingers through her golden hair. I just wanted to take in the scent of smoky air and old makeup that lingered around her.

I wanted the world to be just us.

And somehow, in my mind, it was.

Just us, in wonderland. So much smaller than everything else, but it just doesn't matter because we have each other. Everything's sketchy but it feels safe as ever. Because she's there by my side.

Just us, that's all I need. That's all I want. And for that moment, that's exactly what I had.

I loved every minute.


	8. Strawberries

**Hey guys! I'm working on adding some twists and extra plot lines to my story, I'm very excited! Thanks for all the reviews, theories, suggestions, and even just for reading! When you let me know that my story is worth reading, that's what motivates me to keep writing you some new content! Thanks so much :)**

I didn't want to leave, but I knew I had to. I gently pulled myself away from Maya's cold, sweaty body. The sound of her quiet breathing faded out of hearing as I moved away.

My alarm clock quietly beeped at me, and I turned it off quickly so it wouldn't wake Maya.

I crawled out of bed and crossed the room, taking one last glance before heading down the hallway.

"Mom?" I ran to the kitchen where my parents were sitting. "She came back,"

"Maya?"

"Yeah. But she didn't do it just because she wanted to."

"What?" My mother raised an eyebrow, and my dad sat and waited for my explanation.

"Her parents kicked her out, it wasn't her fault. They had different views than her, and she said some things that they didn't agree with. They didn't want her. They sent her back out of the house, she didn't come back at her own choice. Although I'm sure she prefers us to them now."

"Oh my god..." She said, standing up from the table. "Is she alright?"

"She's fine, I'm pretty sure. She's asleep right now. Can she please stay? At least for now?" I looked at both my parents, hope in my eyes.

My mom looked to my dad, and he looked back. They didn't seem sure about this whole thing.

"Riley," My father started. "We have our trip coming up this weekend. We would have to pay for her."

"You can use my babysitting money, and my allowance, and anything I have." I pleaded. "Please, I don't want her ending up in a place where she isn't safe. I'm scared for her."

"We'll see about it," He said. "Your mom and I will talk it out. We care about her safety as well."

"Okay. Please let this work out." I sighed, running back into my room.

I quickly got changed into my school clothes and ran back to the kitchen to get a small bowl of fruit for my breakfast.

When I got back into my room, Maya was awake and sitting by my nightstand, a drawer pulled open.

"Maya?" I walked through the doorway, flipping the light on. She froze, and whipped her head around towards me. "What are you doing?"

"Riley! I'm... I was just... I was looking for, uh, a flashlight." She stuttered.

"Couldn't you just turn the light on?" I raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I didn't want you to know I was awake... I didn't want to, um, you know, distract you from getting ready for school."

"Oh. You won't distract me, don't worry. I was just going to eat and then leave." I smiled sweetly. "Want a strawberry?"

"Of course!" She smiled, the colour returning to her face. I picked one of the red berries out of my small bowl and held it in between my fingers.

"Heads up!" I giggled, tossing it in her direction. Her eyes narrowed and she snatched it out of the air and popped it into her mouth with a smile.

My clock read 7:00, and I frowned.

"Gotta go, Maya. I'll see you when I get home, alright?"

"Alright, Riles." She smiled softly.

I grabbed my school bag, kissed her on the cheek, and exited the room without a single worry.

I didn't think at all, I just left. Out the door and out of the entire building. Down the street, to the subway station, and onto the subway car. I just left. Nothing to worry about, I trusted Maya. She has nothing to hide from me, she's already been humiliated around me to the point where she wouldn't hide from me. I believed her, why wouldn't I?

I got to school and walked towards my locker, tossing my bag in gently and looking around. Moments later I was relieved to find Lucas and Farkle coming around the corner on their way to class.

"Hey!" Farkle smiled at me, poking me in the shoulder.

"Hi guys!" I said, turning around to face them.

"How's she doing?" Lucas asked, clearly referring to Maya.

"She went back home yesterday... My mom found her."

"What!" He raised both of his eyebrows.

"No, she came back though. Apparently she didn't run away in the first place, they kicked her out, because..."

"Because what?" Farkle questioned.

"Yeah, Riley. I've been worried about her." Lucas pushed.

"No, guys, it's not my information to tell you."

"Please?"

"We're worried."

"No." I stated again. "If I don't have her permission to tell you, I don't want to screw something up so I won't tell you."

Lucas sighed. "Can I come over after school and ask her myself? I want to make sure she's okay. I really like her, Riley. She's special and important. She needs people like us looking out for her."

"Lucas," I rolled my eyes. "I suggest you stop tripping before you fall."

"Huh?"

"You like her." I stated. "I know you like her, Lucas."

"I do not!" His defensive face went red.

"You do, it's obvious. But she doesn't like you. You'll be disappointed if you come over after school only to find that out."

"I don't understand..."

"I guess you will when you come over. And I guess you'll just have to be disappointed. But stop asking me." I snapped. "...sorry."


	9. Kill Them All

**Hello, beautiful readers! Thank you all for waiting so patiently for this new chapter. I went through some small writers block, but I should be all good now. Lots of things are happening, I'm so excited. My new friend has started working on an awesome video trailer for LRPD. I can't wait for you all to see it! Also, I have created a Twitter account for the story! I will be tweeting out hints, answering any questions you guys tweet me, and maybe even posting a couple spoilers! You can also find updates on when I predict I will be updating next. Follow the account at LRPD_OFFICIAL on the Twitter app or webpage. Now, without further delay, here is a fresh new chapter!**

"You all packed?" I excitedly asked, tossing myself into my bed next to Maya.

"You're kidding, right?" She stretched her arms out and yawned. It kind of reminded me of a kitten, the way she did it. "I literally have like one shirt, and you stole it."

"I couldn't help it, Maya. It smells like you."

"Riley. It literally smells like blood."

"Yeah, but it's your blood."

"Wow okay," She rolled her piercing eyes to the back of her head. "Caus that's not creepy at all..."

"You know what I mean!" I giggled, pulling her warm body closer to me and latching onto her.

I don't know what time it was when I was woken from my light sleep, but it certainly had to be around 1 in the morning. I heard a whisper from somewhere in my room.

"K...m...all..." Though I could barely make out any of the syllables I was hearing, they sounded anything but pleasant. "They...st...d..." I looked around to find the source of the haunting sound. "She...us...d..."

Maya. Her eyes were shut tight but the whispering was certainly coming from her pale lips.

"Paint...er...ty...face...c...son.."

"Maya?" I whispered worriedly. "Are you awake?"

Her unusual mutter rasped again. "...ill...them...all"

Kill them all.

 _What the hell?_

"Maya!" I raised my voice slightly. "Wake up!" I shook her shivering body gently. "What's going on?"

Bad dream, must be.

"Maya..." My voice fell softer and I stroked her hair with my careful fingers. "It's okay... I'm here."

She didn't make another noise all night, everything was fixed.

When I woke up, Maya was already awake. She sat upright, next to me.

"Maya! Why are you up already?"

"Why not? Today's the day!" She replied enthusiastically, a grin widespread across her face.

"Well, I assumed you didn't get the best sleep last night. I thought I would be awake first."

"Why would you assume that?" The blonde raised one of her thick eyebrows.

"You know, the nightmare."

"Oh..." She scrunched up her little face. "I had a nightmare? ...oh yeah! I did. Sorry about that... Did I wake you up?"

"Yeah, actually. You scared the shit out of me for a few seconds."

"Yikes... I'm sorry Riles."

"No," I shook my head. "Not your fault. Go get dressed." I wiped the sleep from my eyes.

"Are you even awake, Riley?" She scoffed. "I got dressed already."

"You did?" I blinked a couple times, my vision still blurry from the sudden light clashing with my sleeping eyes. "Oh." I focused on her clothing, which was actually mine. "Maya, you're stretching all my clothes."

"Hey," She shrugged. "I'll give you this frilly crap back if you return my shirt!" She said, jumping out of the bed.

"No!" I yelled, jumping up and running after her.

"Riley, it's mine!" She yelled back, pulling the shirt off my dresser where I had it laid out.

"That's why I want it!" I tackled her, snatching the fabric out of her hands. She fell to the floor giggling, and pushed me away.

"Fine." She pouted. "I guess I'll just stretch the hell out of all your clothes."

"Great, do that." I retorted, trying not to laugh.

The car was eventually all packed up, and we were soon on the road after eating our breakfast.

"Maya," I nudged her carefully. Despite her being entirely energetic when I first woke up, after a half hour in the car she managed to doze off completely. I didn't want to wake her up, but I was extremely bored.

"Riles?" She whispered, eyes still shut.

"I'm bored."

She blinked her eyes open. "How long have we been in the car?"

"Two hours."

"Wow." She shook her head. "Bored already after only 2 hours?"

"We're 20 minutes away from out destination, Maya." I laughed at her cluelessness.

"We are? Shit." She snorted.

"Maya!" My father's voice yelled from the front of the car. He gestured to Auggie, who seemed to be sleeping, though Maya should be watching her mouth in his presence. And in my parents', for that matter.

"Oh, shit. Sorry Mr. Matthews." She slowly apologized. "I mean, uh, 'oh, shoot'!"

I rolled my eyes and offered one of my earbuds to her.


End file.
